Trust plays an important role in any house and pet sitting agreement and ensuring that both the home and pet owner and the house sitter understand the other party’s expectations, is the key to a fuss-free and enjoyable sit.
We’ve put together some points to consider making sure you have a worry-free house and pet sitting experience:
Help the Sitter Understand Your Pet
Getting all the best information about your fur pal’s personality, her routines, habits – and documenting all of these – is a great start to arming your sitter with the information they need to provide the best care possible for your pet.
If a house and pet sitter is new to a position, rather than a returning sitter, it goes without saying that they are going to need to know all the intricacies of your pet’s care and any home maintenance.
If an animal has recently come out of surgery or requires regular medication, these details, routines and procedures need to be communicated to the sitter to make sure they are aware of all the care needs of your four-footed friend.
For high care pets, it’s also a great idea to include an emergency contact list, such as the vet or animal hospital, in a highly visible area, like the fridge door, so that sitters can easily access these numbers should any out of the ordinary symptoms occur.
Similarly, house sitters are expected to provide all relevant information about pet care experience, sitting experience and ask any questions if they are unsure about any aspect of the sit.
Always Have a Back-Up Plan
Sometimes life throws us a few curve balls and things happen out of our control. On rare occasions, a house and pet sitter may need to leave a sit unexpectedly, so having a back-up plan for a house and pet sitter while you’re away is a good strategy. This could be a neighbour, a friend or a relative who wouldn’t mind taking over if an early exit is required by the house sitter.
It’s best to also make these people emergency contacts for your house sitter, so they know who to contact if the owner is not easily contactable.
Make a Good Impression First Up
Getting ready to leave your fur friend and home can be a busy and stressful time, so it’s understandable that homes won’t always be looking their best before owners leave.
However, when engaging a house and pet sitter to care for your home while you’re away, homes should be left in a condition that owners would like to return to – clean and organised.
When a sitter begins in a clean and tidy home, they can more easily focus on the care of your pet, rather than fumbling around trying to find things in a messy household.
Your Home is Your Castle
Trust is an essential part of any house and pet sitting relationship, and the safety and security of your pets and property is paramount. Similarly, the safety of your sitters is also very important.
Before you leave, go through your home with objective eyes and repair any areas of the home that need fixing. Also consider who you are giving access to your home while you’re away, whether it’s just the house sitter or whether it also includes family and friends, so there is no doubt of responsibility.
Find your ideal house and pet sitter at Mindahome.co.uk.